Photo by Kaptain Kobold at flickr
We’ve just recently moved. Finally. We have spent the last three months looking for an apartment near the school. Unfortunately, we moved during the first week of school. It was definitely stressful, but I was able to make a new BFF. Though now, I’m regretting that friendship.
This BFF was convenient. She knew that teaching all day and then packing was too much for me to make meals, so she always had meals wrapped up and ready for pick-up. She also was super knowledgeable. She understood that my girls would be bored since their toys had been packed, so she graciously packed a few small toys inside the bag for them. It was such a great source of entertainment those last few stressful nights of cleaning the old place and unpacking the new place. She just knew. It was great until I got on the scale.
This BFF was that fast-food restaurant that conveniently had a drive-through. Drive-throughs are fairly rare on this island, but they were conveniently placed in our path during that transition time of the old place to the new apartment. I *gulp* fell into the “Convenient Trap” because it was so much easier than chopping, slicing, and cooking up a nutritious meal.
Fortunately, after we moved a few real friends brought over some healthy meals to help us out. That was the turning point back to healthy eating. Those meals gave me the energy to do what needed to be done in the new apartment so that I could begin cooking my own healthy meals again. My kitchen is still not in complete working order, but it is enough that I can cook simple healthy meals. For that, I’m thankful because I want to eat healthy and I’m seeing the scales looking better already. *whew*
If I could have done this move all over again I’d do a few things different, like…
1. A few months before the move make larger portions of meals and freeze them. That way, they’d be easy and quick to put into a microwave to warm up.
2. Buy bread, peanut butter/nutella, fruit and veges (cut and bagged). Something quick for lunches.
3. Buy lots of paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils. Though, not the most healthy for the environment, it makes it easier for those first few days of transition.
*Note that if I was moving to another country, I’d only do #2 and #3 once we were there. The first one is not really an option. *grins*
Your Turn: What is something you do when you are moving that helps with the transition? Share in the comments below.
raisingTCKs 
When we moved from overseas, our friend wanted to host a party for us. She let everyone know that the biggest gift they could provide for us were invites to have home cooked meal with them (so we could temporarily escape our packing chaos at home) or to bring by a casserole or dish while we were transitioning. It was a huge help! We even had people loan us dishes and mattresses after our shipment of household goods took our belongings.
Loved the idea of a friend stepping in and helping out in such a creative way. It reminds me of when we lived in China and worked for a school system there – the other teachers and staff members would have us over for dinners every night. It was a great. You had good meals and instantly began to make friends.
Pingback: Hospitality is More Than Hosting…thank goodness! | raisingTCKs